Pressure accumulator apparatus



P. c. KOOMEY ET AL 3,028,881

PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR APPARATUS April 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 17, 1960 V WWW a W 4 W W1 2 B ATTOR/VFYS April 10, 1962 P. C.KOOMEY ETAL PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR APPARATUS 2 SheetS -Sheet 2 Filed NOV.17, 1960 Pau/ C. Kaamey Pcz V/ C. f/uasofl INVENTORS BY {Zr/{w flaw/zA24 6% 7% ATTUR/Vf/S" res atnt ice Uilitfi St FIGURE 2 is a view similarto FIGURE 1 illustrating 3,028,881 the apparatus according to thepresent invention in posi- PRESSURE ACCUMULATGR APPARATUS Paul C. Koomeyand Paul C. Hudson, Houston, Tex., as-

tion in which the accumulator is empty and open to atmospheric pressure,and

tion filled with liquid and charged with gas.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral signers to Stewartand Distributing 5 generally designates the pressure accumulator appa-Pany, iis z d l l s fi lgh il gg l qf "7 ratus of the present invention.As is conventional the 5 2 i apparatus 10 generally includes acylindrical body 12, a

flexible partition here shown as a diaphragm 14 for sep- The presentinvention relates to an improvement in a arating a compressible gas suchas nitrogen from the inpressure accumulator apparatus, and moreparticularly 10 compressible liquid, a gas valve 16 in the accumulatorrelates to such a pressure accumulator in which the movegas opening 18and an accumulator liquid opening 20 for ment of the flexible partitionis guided and controllrzdi.1h admigsiondand exit of thehincompreslsibleliquid which is Pressure accumulators for storing fluid energy 0 e storeun er pressure in t e accumu ator. desired volume and pressure until thestored energy is The present invention is directed to guiding,controlling, required are gegerally provided Iflvitida fielrfibilepartitipn andt Ithe dilrectior of mogement 1 f thle ilexble such as adiap ragm, bag, or a er w c separa es pa 11011 ere s own y way 0 ex-ampeony as rea compressible gas from an incompressible liquid in the phragm14. Of course, the flexible partition 14 may be accumulator body.However, the flexible partition or in the form of a separator bag, orany type of elastic sepwall between the gas and liquid is subjected tohigh presarator and may be made out of any conventional material suresand continuous flexing between the gas and liquid such as one of thevarious rubber synthetics. The guide and the accumulator body whichconsequently shortens assembly generally includes a guide assembly 22secured the life of the flexible partition. Furthermore, since the :10the flexitble partitioln 14 abncl sejaingly slidacliale up angconventional accumulator diaphragm or separator bag is own in t e accumuator o y in accor ance wit flexible it provides an unstable partitionwhich is subject 25 the existing pressure conditions applied on theopposite to continual movement and wear. The present invention SIdeS Ofthe diaphragm 14. Stops 26 and 28 are provided, is directed toimprovements in a pressure accumulator by ne on one side and one on thesecond side of the flexible providing a guide assembly for the flexiblepartition. partluon 14 to limit the travel 1n elther direction Of It 18therefore an ob ect of the present lIlVfiIlilO-n to proe e the Stops 26and 23 here Shown Could he Omlited, vide a guide assembly for a flexiblepartition in a pressure 30 t d and t ends 9 the accumulator, e 0 acaccumulator which will control the limit of travel of the of thefiehlhle p g l fiil iisergia as stops. fl ibl titi or convenience osecuring t e exi e partition 14 A further object of the presentinvention is the provision phr gm t0 the body 12, the body 12 consistsof an of a guide apparatus for the diaphragm or separator bag uppertubular shell 39 abutting and held to a lower tubular of a pressureaccumulator which stabilizes the flexible 3 3 a flange assembly pp andlower Shells partition betwgen cimpressfibgi and incompressible fluldls.39 1 each hqpl l g 111 h shellltwallhto form A stil furt er 0 ject o epresent invention is t e a clrcu 3f gmove J W 16 W e11 Secure Oge er mayprovision of a guide apparatus for accumulator partition 61191056 andSecure the Outer P p y of the diaphragm including a rod in theaccumulator body having a slidable 14 f the y 12 of h accumulatofe, yconnection thereon which is connected to the flexible par- 40 g ii gz ijseaming the flexible Pflfhtloll 14 111 t ti-tion. o y may e use Yet afurther object of the present invention is the pro- P h y, when hsingdiaPhTagm p flexible P vision of a uide assembly in a pressureaccumulator inmlofi, t e Outer P p y 0f the Partition 14 of diacluding agl iide rod on which a plate connected to the I- Should be Spaced equaldistance fr m and between flexible partition is sealingly slidablethereby reducing the i PS and 28 h y reducing the a of the flexarea ofthe fiexlble partition and also preventing wear and lble p 14 that 18 fq f and thereby l'educlflg the pinching of the flexible partitionagainst the body of the a h element Whlch 15 most sublect Wear anaccumumton eterioratlon.

A still further object of the present invention is the h p 28 i5 p h ylocated j t h id provision of a guided partition in a pressureaccumulator P and f y 1 he f rm of a tube for conand a guide assemblywhich includes stops on either side Valence h Q Cfiurse, h p can be ofthe partition thereby limiting the travel of the partition Omitted by Eh gulde i y 22 to Contact in either direction so as to prevent excessivestretching l l n gz the Inner 3 1 e l w r end of the of the partition. 56

Yet a further object of the present invention is the pro- The St?!) is PY Positioned Spaced 'bm he a accumu ator w 'c inc u es a rigi p atesecure to e j c center of the diaphragm and which is attached to asleeve :gfigf; 5 gas g i to ltfsure that .there which is slidable on aguide rod in the accumulator and 5%; 33 d h 5 of il d 1 en a e a stlotas ondegherflslidei of lghe plate to hmrt the travel of the fins theentire f i It s gligg flfat t l le paean us e iapragm. 4

Other and further objects, features an d advantages will :2; Ii? gli iigi 2 gfiz gi gg iggi i z f the P2;- be apparent from the followingdescription of a presently Preferably Sm 26 is apcircul'r 1d t gl a dpreferred embodiment of the invention, given for the purto Sun ortptyetide a fi 0 e pose of i and taken m.conjunction with the ac- 65described herein afte r This as hoted i n i l liiE 1 3 anymgk drawmgshWhere like character Feferences and 2 the steps 26 and 23 control thelimit of travel of eglgnate 11 6 Parts 15 roughou't the several and thellexible partition 14 in either direction thereby pre- W ete ventingexcessive stretching of the partition and reducing FIGURE 11s anelevat1onalv1ew,1n sectiomillu stratmg the Wear and prolonging the lifeof the flexible parti the apparatus according to the present inventionin pos1- i 14.

. And as previously mentioned a guide assembly 22 which 18 slidablysupported on a rod 24 guides the movement Patented Apr. 10, 1962 of theflexible partition 14 thereby providing a stable separator between thegas and liquid and prevents flem'ng, pinching and wear on the flexiblewall 14 at the point of greatest movement of the partition 14. The rod24 may be secured at one end adjacent the fluid opening 29 by supportmember 44 which includes a plurality of openings 46 for the passage ofliquid into and out of the body 12.

The guide assembly 22 is provided sealingly slidable on the rod 2 6 andsecured to the diaphragm 14 in any suitable manner. Preferably, theguide assembly 22 includes two circular metal plates 48 and 50sandwiched about the inner portion of the flexible diaphragm 14. Theplates 43 and 56 are preferably secured about a sleeve 52 by a threadednut 54 and shoulder 56. Preferably, the plates 43 and 50 are made aslarge in diameter as possible but leaving an adequate clearance betweenthe periphery of the plates 48 and t) and the inside of the body 12 soas not to bind or unduly flex the partition 14 as the plates 43 and 53move upward and downward. However, by making the plates as large aspossible, the area of the partition 14 is reduced thereby reducing thearea of the part that most easily wears out. Furthermore, the platesinsure a more stable partition between the gas and the liquid. Thesleeve 52 is slidable on the rod 24 and includes a closed end 53 thusslidingly supporting the guide assembly 22 as it moves upward anddownward and end 53 prevents and seals off the gas from the liquidwithout requiring a pressure seal which would be sub jected to wearingout and require replacement. In addition a tubular support member 60 maybe provided in the compartment 33 secured at one end adjacent theopening 18 and secured to the stop member 26 at the other end andpositioned to elescopically receive the sleeve 52 as the assembly 22moves upwardly as shown in FIGURE 2. Openings 62 are provided in thetubular support 60 for passage of gas between compartment 33 and opening13. Thus, a telescopically slidable structure is provided to support theguide assembly 22 as it moves from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to theposition shown in FIGURE 2. Of course, the plates 48 and 50 could beprovided to sealingly slide on the rod 24 if desired; however, thesleeve 52 provides desirable support for the guide assembly 22 in viewof the pressures involved and prevents the plates from binding on therod 24.

It is noted that since the circular plates 48 and 50 enclose theflexible diaphragm 14 they protect the diaphragm 14 as shown in FIGURES1 and 2 from ordinary wear and pinching against the stops 26 and 28 andlimit the travel of the diaphragm in either direction as the platesthemselves contact the stops 26 and 28. It is further noted that sincethe circular plates 48 and 5t) replace and reduce the area of theflexible diaphragm or partition 14 that is exposed to flexing and wearthe life of the diaphragm I4 is increased. Furthermore, it is noted thatthe guide assembly 22 provides a more stable wall or partition betweenthe gas and the liquid in the accumulator body than is found in theconventional separator bag type accumulator. Thus, the guide assemblyincreases the life of the flexible partition 14 by preventing excessivestretching and reduces wear and pinching on the partition.

In use, the accumulator is shown in FIGURE 1 as being empty and open toatmospheric pressure. For storing fluid energy for use, the accumulatoris connected as is conventional in a system whereby the cover 66 isremoved, the valve 16 is connected to a gas supply, normally nitrogen,and the opening 20 is connected to a fluid system such as oil or otherincompressible fluid whereby the incompressible liquid can be storedunder pressure to later provide a useful work force. Preferably, theaccumulator would be charged with gas which would enter the valve 16, gothrough the opening 18 into the upper compartment 38 through ports 62and below the stop member 26 through the ports 60 and act on the upperside of the diaphragm 14. The guide assembly 22 would be in the positionas shown in FEGURE 1 with the exception that the diaphragm 14 would befixed outwardly against the inner wall of the lower shell 32 similar tothe flexing shown in FIGURE 2. Then as liquid is pumped in through theopening 20 into the lower part of the accumulator it below the flexiblepartition 14 the gas above the flexible partition 14 would be compressedand the slide assembly 23 would slide upwardly on the rod 24. it is tobe noted that the moving plates 48 and 50 securely hold and guide thepoint of greatest movement of the flexible partition 14 and therebyprevent unstable movement at this flexible portion of the partition andeliminate undue flexing and wear during the up and down movement at thispoint of greatest flexibility and movement. The guide assembly 22continues to move upward compressing the gas into compartment 38 untilthe upper plate 5'0 contacts and is stopped by stop 26. At this pointthe flexible diaphragm 14 and the guide assembly 22 will be in theposition as shown in FIGURE 2. Thus it is noted that the upward movementof the diaphragm 14 is thus stopped preventing excessive stretching ofthe diaphragm and it is noted that the plate 43 and not the diaphragm 14makes contact with the stop member 26 to prevent wear and pinching ofthe diaphragm on metal contact.

Thus as the guide assembly moves upward, the tubular sleeve slidesupward on rod 24 and thus guides and supports the plates 48 and 59 whichare secured to the sleeve 52. As the sleeve 52 further moves upwardly ittelescopes into the interior of the tubular support 60 thus insuringthat the guide assembly 22 is securely supported as it is moved upwardand downward under high pressures. Of course, the support 60 could beomitted and the rod 24 could be extended to the upper end of the body12. In that case a sliding seal would have to be provided between Sleeve52 and rod 24. In the preferred arrangement shown the end 58 on thesleeve 52 provides a seal between the gas and the liquid through thesliding assembly 22. This seal is permanent and need not be periodicallyreplaced.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 the gas '70 under pressure acts as a dynamicforce to maintain pressure in the accumulator on the liquid 72 beneaththe diaphragm 14 and to force out that liquid when the system to whichthe accumulator is connected permits such discharge.

Thus as the system on which the accumulator 10 is connected permits, thecompressed gas 70 above the flexible diaphragm 14 acts against the fluid72 beneath the diaphragm 14 and pushes it out of the opening 20. Thusthe guide assembly 22 moves downwardly on the rod 24 as the sleeve 52telescopically moves out of the support member 60 and down the rod 24and thereby supports and guides the plates 48 and 50. When the plate 59reaches the lower end or" the accumulator body 12 it encounters and isstopped by stop member 28 to limit the travel of the flexible diaphragmin its lower position. Thus the guide assembly moves up and down on therod 24 by means of the sleeve 52 which is supported by the rod 24 whenthe assembly 22 is in the lower end of the accumulator and is supportedand guided by the support member 60 when the accumulator is filled withliquid 72 and the assembly 22 is in an up position.

Thus the guide assembly of the present invention prevents excessivestretching of the flexible partition 14 as it moves from one extremeposition to its other extreme position on operation of the accumulatorand also prevents wear and pinching of the partition or bag by the factthat the plates 48 and 50 make the contact of each limit of travel andthe flexible partition 14 is not subjected to pinching and wearingagainst the metal. Furthermore, the plates 43 and 50 provide a stableseparator wall between the gas and liquid in the accumulator proventingadditional flexing and wear on the partition wall which is likely tooccur in conventional separator bags. In addition, it is noted that bythe use of this invention the area of the flexible partition 14 that isexposed to flexing may be reduced to a minimum thereby reducing the sizeof the component of the accumulator that is most subjected to wear andreplacement.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out theobjects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as othersinherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of theinvention is given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes indetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be made which willreadily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which areencompassed Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid accumulator comprising, a body, a diaphragm in said body, theouter periphery of said diaphragm connected to said body and separatingthe body into two fluid compartments, a rod secured internally of saidbody and passing through said diaphragm, guide means including a platesecured to each side of the diaphragm, said guide means movable in thebody on either side of the connection of the diaphragm to the body, saidguide means sealingly slidable on said rod, and stop means positioned oneach side of the guide means and positioned to contact one of saidplates thereby limiting the travel of said guide means and diaphragm ineither direction.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the stop means are equally spacedfrom the point of connection of the diaphragm to the body.

3. The improvement in a fluid accumulator having a body, a diaphragm insaid body, said diaphragm attached to said body dividing said body intotwo fluid compartments, comprising, a stop member in said body on oneside of said diaphragm, a guide rod one end of which is secured adjacentone end of the body, said guide rod passing through said diaphragm andthe second end of said guide rod positioned adjacent said stop member, a

plate secured to said diaphragm, and a guide sleeve secured to saidplate and sealingly slidable on said guide rod, a tubular support memberbetween said stop member and the second end of said body adapted toguide and enclose said guide sleeve as it is moved into said supportmember.

4. A fiuid accumulator comprising a body, a stop memher in said body, adiaphragm in said body on one side of said stop member and attached tosaid body approximately equal distance between said stop member and thefirst end of said body, a guide rod secured to said first end of saidbody and passing through said diaphragm and extending adjacent said stopmember, a sleeve closed at one end slidable on said rod, a guideattached to said sleeve and secured to said diaphragm, and a guide tubeaxially aligned with said sleeve and secured between said stop memberand the second end of said body adapted to slidably receive and guidesaid sleeve.

5. The improvement in a pressure accumulator having a body and aflexible partition in and secured to said body comprising, a stop memberin said body on one side of the partition, a guide rod secured to saidfirst end of said body and passing through said flexible partition, andextending adjacent said stop member, said stop member spaced from saidsecond end of the body, a sleeve closed at one end slidable on said rod,a plate attached to said sleeve and secured to said flexible partition,and a guide tube axially aligned with said sleeve and secured betweensaid stop member and the second end of said body for slidably receivingand supporting said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA' IENTS2,809,665 Crowe Oct. 15, 1957

